Supreme Court examines government prayer practices

By BJC General Counsel K. Hollyn Hollman
Is prayer at government meetings simply a historical aberration notwithstanding the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, or is it justified by some rational explanation?

From the November/December Report from the Capital

RFRA at 20: a retrospective

By K. Hollyn Hollman, BJC General Counsel
A Nov. 7 symposium, organized by the BJC and other groups, will use the occasion of the RFRA anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on the state of free exercise of religion in Americaby examining it in a number of contexts.

From the October 2013 Report from the Capital.

Tornado coverage highlights voluntary religion and diversity

By K. Hollyn Hollman, BJC General Counsel
While conflicts over the role of religion in society will persist, we are fortunate. Our country protects religious freedom and preserves the religious peace by keeping the government out of the religion business, protecting the rights of the religious and non-religious alike.

From the June 2013 Report from the Capital

Religious liberty and same-sex marriage

By K. Hollyn Hollman, BJC General Counsel
Many conversations about religious liberty and same-sex marriage are oversimplified. Too often what is lost in these understandably impassioned battles are the striking similarities between the claims of each side.

From the May 2013 Report from the Capital

Free exercise standards increasingly debated

By K. Hollyn Hollman, BJC General Counsel
While it is not surprising that RFRA — like religious liberty in general — is more popular in principle than in its specific applications, research suggests that even among states that have enacted some version of RFRA, there has been scant litigation testing the statutes’ application to various types of claims.

From the April 2013 Report from the Capital